


Before and After

by CalamityJess



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, Mass Effect 3, Post Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:57:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalamityJess/pseuds/CalamityJess





	Before and After

Dr Chakwas looked at the needle in her hand. With one injection, they could ensure that should the worst happen, they’d be first to find Shepard. She wasn’t surprised when Miranda Lawson had given it to her. The Commander and Miranda had managed to form a fairly close bond over time. Hardly unexpected, seeing that Miranda was the reason their Commander still drew breath. But her ethics were fighting with her heart.

On one hand, this was a security measure. Making sure Commander Shepard, dead or alive didn’t fall into the wrong hands. It had almost happened once, had Liara not intervened, things might have been horribly different. On the other hand, lying to Shepard, was not something she preferred to do. But maybe she wouldn’t have to. No, she wouldn’t.

“Dr.? You wanted to see me?” Vetta Shepard asked, breaking Dr Chakwas out of her thoughts.

“Yes, Commander. I need to check your cybernetics one last time, and...well put a tracer under your skin” She blurted.

“Wait, you..a tracer? What the hell for? Who’s idea was...Garrus wasn’t it? Or Alenko? No wait, Liara...” Shepard guessed, amused.

“Actually, it was Ms Lawson.” Chakwas answered.

“Ahhh. I see. Alright, one condition. Noone outside you, me, and Miranda knows about this. I don’t want any false hopes if it doesn’t work and I can’t be...recovered” Shepard demanded, a slight hitch in her breath. “Also, I’ll need you to place this tracer here in your office somewhere”

“Wait what?” Chakwas stuttered

“Only fair right? If Miranda can trace me, I should be able to trace my ship” Shepard deftly pointed out.

“Very well Commander. Good point” Chakwas agreed.

“Honestly, I wish I’d have thought of it, but that was Miranda too. I asked her to watch out for Normandy and her crew in case...well, in case.” Shepard sighed. “Again, between us....OUCH!”

“Sorry Shepard, I didn’t need you getting squeamish like last time.” Chakwas grinned, in spite of the fear in the room.

“Thanks Doc. For everything. Time to go...” Shepard said on her way out.

The battle was about to be joined, all they could do now was hope. And pray.

 

* * *

 

The Crucible fired, the Reapers were destroyed, the war was over. Miranda Lawson snuck her team onto the remains of the Citadel the next day in search of the location of the signal on her omnitool. The Citadel had been badly damaged in the energy blast, and it was rough going. Progress through the arm that once was the presidium was treacherous and slow but they made it. As the signal strength grew louder Miranda scanned for lifesigns, signatures from the cybernetics she had worked so hard on 2 years ago. She was rewarded with a heartbeat reading, weak but steady, blood pressure readings on the low side but stable, there was hope.

They finally found their objective, wedged under debris. The team worked quickly, Medi-Gel at the ready, as the debris was removed by brute force and Miranda’s biotics.

“Quickly, I need a pickup at my location. the package has been retrieved . I repeat, package has been retrieved!” She snapped over the radio.

The shuttle arrived quickly, taking them to the Cerberus med-ship Miranda had...acquired. Noone was about to ask why, or how. They figured putting it to this use was a good one.

“Dr Michel, meet me in the trauma bay stat” Miranda ordered.

When Dr Michel arrived, she gasped in shock. Commander Shepard. Still breathing, after everything. A quick scan showed for broken ribs, one that had punctured a lung, and another that had punctured the skin. One arm was broken in two places, along with some moderate burns, bruising, and lacerations. She’d lost a lot of blood, but was stable enough to travel.

“She’s stable Ms Lawson, well enough to treat on board, and travel to the next location. I don’t know how...she should be worse, much worse...how is this possible?” Dr Michel wondered aloud.

“Four billion credits can apparently buy miracles” Lawson answered. “And we needed a Miracle”

“You headed the Lazarus Project didn’t you?” Michel inquired.

“Indeed, I did. Let me know when she wakes up. I need to find her ship”

 

 

* * *

 

It had been 21 days since Shepard reached the Citadel, and destroyed the Reapers. For Joker and Garrus it had been an eternity. The ship wasn’t the same without it’s Commander and EDI. Major Alenko had taken over, caring for them each as he thought Shepard would have. Taking the time to talk, and listen as she always had as they repaired the Normandy after a rough landing on an unknown world. They were in the air, on auto pilot, there was one last thing to do. Say goodbye to Shepard.

The crew gathered at the memorial wall on the crew deck. Joker carefully placed EDI’s name among the rest of the lost but not forgotten. Kaidan placed Admiral Anderson’s name prominently in the middle, the Normandy was once his ship too, and he would always be a part of her. Only one name remained. Commander Shepard. As Garrus stood there, with her name in his hands, the crew waited. Noone had any words, so they stood in respectful quiet until the Normandy’s comm came online to interrupt.

“SSV Normandy, this is Miranda Lawson, do you read?”

Everyone turned towards the speaker that had so suddenly inerrupted.

“SSV Normandy, his is Miranda Lawson, Do you read? Joker dammit pick up the comm!”

“This is SSV Normandy, we hear you, what is it?” Joker answered.

“I’m on my way to your location. Meet me halfway, at these coordinates. It’s urgent, with FTL I estimate a week, maybe two this way as opposed to my making the whole trip.” She demanded.

“Uhh ok, what’s the emergency Miranda?” Joker asked

“I have Shepard, she’s alive. Injured, unconscious, but alive.”

“On our way!”

There was a cheer among the crew, as Garrus quietly slipped away and threw the nameplate out of the airlock.

 

* * *

 

It had been two years since the Reaper War ended. Mass Relays were running again, colonies, and planets wre rebuilt or well on their way to it, and the crew of the Nomandy had finally settled down. Well, as settled as any of them get.

Kaidan Alenko and Liara T’Soni were married a year to the date that the war ended. They have 2 daughters. Liara wrote her book with Javik, and continues her work as a Shadow Broker. Kaidan accepted a position as a Biotics instructor at the newly rebuilt Grissom Academy.

James completed his N7 training, and continues to serve in unknown locations. Shepard receives monthly letters simply addressed to “Lola”.

Miranda not only brought Shepard back again, but managed to bring EDI back online with the schematics and tech intel taken from Cerberus, along with the technical expertise of Tali’Zorah vas Normandy. By removing the reaper fragments, replacing them with cloned backups of EDI’s own systems, it was as if she’d never been gone. Her and Joker still fly the Normandy, with Steve as shuttle pilot, Trainer at the comms, and Commander Vega.

Tali built her home on Rannoch, where she continues to advocate Geth and Quarian relations. The Catalyst lied, when he claimed all synthetics would be destroyed. It only affected those with Reaper based code, thus eliminating any remaining Heretics.

As for Vetta and Garrus, well they retired somewhere tropical (and undisclosed) and live on the royalties from the vids as planned. While it started out as a joke, by the time Shepard was fully healed she realized there wasn’t anything she wanted more. After a lifetime of fighting, it was time for peace. They adopted a few orphaned Krogan, Turian and Asari kids, and one human.

Each year the crew and their families get together in London, usually around Christmas to catch up, have a few laughs, and remember the “Good Old Days” they were all so fond of.


End file.
